We need to be very focused and be very professional, says Bromley boss Mark Goldberg

BROMLEY manager Mark Goldberg says his side must do a professional job to avoid being on the end of a FA Cup giant-killing on Saturday.

The Ravens are in fifth-place in the Vanarama Conference South table and travel to Worcestershire to play Southern League Division One South & West side Evesham United in the Fourth Qualifying Round.

The hosts have reached The FA Cup First Round once, when they went down to a 2-0 defeat to Torquay United in 2008.

Bromley will be looking to reach that stage for the fourteenth time in their history, while Goldberg has taken the club to that stage on four occasions in the past nine years.

But all talk of potentially facing Football League opposition again has been forgotten as Bromley must beat Evesham United, who lie in eleventh-place in the table.

“We’re looking forward to the game but at the same time we’re very wary of the fact that it’s such an important game to both teams,” said Goldberg on the eve of the tie.

“We need to be very focused and well prepared and be very professional on the basis that their two leagues below us.

“We’ll treat them with the respect that they deserve and know that it’s going to be a very challenging FA Cup tie from the first minute to the last.”

Bromley sealed a rather flattering 5-1 home win over Southern League Division One Central Uxbridge in the Second Qualifying Round, before being held to a goal-less draw away to Ryman Premier League side Grays Athletic.

But Bromley sealed their biggest FA Cup win for 32 years when the Essex side were dispatched 5-0 at Hayes Lane on 14 October.

“We know that Shortwood from their league beat Aldershot at the same sort of time last year and Cup upsets happen,” warned Goldberg.

“We’ve been on the wrong end against Heybridge Swifts and Didcot in the past and we have to make sure we don’t have a repeat of that situation.

“It’s a great opportunity for both teams to get through to the First Round and we're taking this game with the height of importance as it is to both teams.”

Bromley have players in their squad that have played at a higher level of football and the fans that are making the trip to Worcestershire hope they get over this hurdle.

Goldberg said: “But it’s eleven men against eleven men. They’re competing in a one-off game. Over the course of a number of games you’d expect us to come out on top but on one 90 minutes or whatever it may be, you need the quality to shine through and you need a bit of luck along the way as well.

“We’re expecting a similar game to the game at Grays where both teams will look to attack and it will be a typical Cup tie.

“We just want to make sure that we stay very disciplined so that we don’t lose the game before we win the game.

“I think we’d be delighted if we grind out a draw.”

Meanwhile, Goldberg must make a decision whether to start with inspirational skipper Rob Swaine, 26, who has missed the last seven weeks through injury.

The Bromley boss said: “A fully fit Rob Swaine would be a very big boost for us. We have to make a decision whether we feel he’s ready to start.”

Visit Bromley’s website: www.bromleyfc.net

Evesham United  v  Bromley
The FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round
Saturday 25^th October 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Jubilee Stadium, Cheltenham Road, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 2LZ